The answer to extreme poverty in Africa could be Africa itself, if a new agricultural initiative lives up to its vision. The Uganda Community Farm (UCF) aims to create a prototype for self-sustainability within Uganda’s poor rural communities. Pursuing a comprehensive agricultural program, it intends to set a precedent for Africa’s rural poor to tread their own path out of …
American Agri-Women Leader Joins Advisory Committee
Doris Mold, First Vice-President for Resolutions and Vital Issues for American Agri-Women, was recently appointed to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Agricultural Advisory Committee. Mold owns and operates a dairy farm in Wisconsin and an agricultural consulting business. She also teaches farm and agri-business management courses at the University of Minnesota. Mold has served on numerous agricultural committees on …
USFRA Brings Food Dialogues to Dairy Forum
The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) will assemble a range of voices to discuss animal care and animal care standards during The Food Dialogues®: Dairy Forum; Animal Care and Consumers’ Emerging Expectations. The event will take place at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Dairy Forum from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 in Boca …
Feeding America – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
To honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the anniversary of his birthday is commemorated as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, which falls on January 19 this year. All across the nation, millions of Americans will help aid their neighbors and their communities by volunteering. Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, is asking people …
Farm Bureau Supports Military Veteran Farmers
The American Farm Bureau annual meeting in San Diego featured a workshop for convention attendees on why creating effective mentorship relations for veteran farmers is so important. “Dedicated, Disciplined and Determined” highlighted some of the work of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. According to Michael O’Gorman, executive director of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, a few years ago there were more than …
Potato Growers Select 2015 NPC Leadership
At the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2015 Annual Meeting, held January 9-10, 2015, in Orlando, Florida, Dan Lake from Lake Seed, Inc. of Ronan, Mont., was elected to serve as NPC’s president for 2015 and to lead the council’s Executive Committee. NPC delegates also approved Jim Tiede from American Falls, Idaho, as First Vice President and Vice President of the …
Iowa Poultry & Egg Industry Adds New Leader
The Iowa Egg Council and Iowa Poultry Association have hired Randy Olson as executive director. Olson will navigate the state’s poultry and egg industry through a changing environment as it adjusts to new food safety standards and other requirements. “In a national search, Randy Olson rose to the top with his strong background in agriculture and vast array of experiences …
Free Center for Food Integrity Webinar Series
A free webinar series from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) explores how the agriculture and food industries can effectively communicate complex technical and scientific information to a public that often doesn’t accept what scientific consensus says is true. The series of six hour-long webinars, which begin Thursday, January 15, are based on CFI’s new consumer trust research, “Cracking the …
Foundation for Agriculture’s Book of the Year
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its eighth annual “Book of the Year” award to Margaret McNamara for “The Apple Orchard Riddle.” In this playful and humorous story, the students learn a lot about apples and apple orchards – including how apples are harvested, how cider is made, and what the different varieties of apples are – while …
Contamination Prevention at Beltwide Cotton
Earlier this week the 2015 Beltwide Cotton Consultants Conference took place in San Antonio, TX. One of the hot topics discussed during the event was contamination prevention. Dale W. Thompson, National Cotton Council, spoke to the group in attendance about the potentially growing problem. Dale said this is no new problem for cotton growers and has a huge impact on …